Frenemies
by SlippedLips
Summary: [AU] In accordance to her beliefs, school is a drama in itself. Friends and enemies follow suit. But why the Hell is Madara so annoying, and can Hashirama and Mito please get a room one of these days? You see, this is the adventure of Rin's life during high school. (R&R!) [Sorry, I'm bad at summaries]
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Wind-swept and made damp by the pouring rain, Kohaku Rin and Wanatake Hotaru stepped into the school building; Rin removed her light-weight, green parka and Hotaru sighed, a smile touching her lips. "What're you smiling about?" asked Rin, as she shook her umbrella to get any excess water off.

"Two days until term ends!" exclaimed Hotaru excitedly.

Rin rolled her eyes. "I knew I should've listened to my brother when he said you were crazy," she muttered, ignoring Hotaru stick her tongue out at her childishly. "Here we go—"

"RIN! GET HERE NOW!" shouted Tobirama, scowling, storming up to her. Scowling wasn't something that suited him, but he always did it. Rin decided that she would wait for him to come to her. "What's the meaning of—?"

"Rin!" called Hashirama, with Mito running behind him. He smiled in relief. "Can I have a moment?" He pulled Rin aside before Tobirama could intervene. When it was safe, and he knew nobody was going to interrupt them, he turned to her, "Why did you put pictures of Tobirama all around the school, Rin? Tell me, what were you thinking?"

"It's his birthday today, and I told Megumi not to do it, thank you. Don't jump to conclusions about me being the one who did it." Rin replied, "You should speak to her about it, not me." She went to move around him, but he purposely blocked her path.

"Megumi did it?"

"That's what I just said, isn't it?" Rin frowned at him. "Now, can you move, Hashirama? I need to hand my Geography homework in before the first bell, or I'll be in detention with Mr Ikue for the rest of the year. And no, I don't want to spend my last year mainly in detention!"

This time, when Rin went to leave, Hashirama didn't prevent her, but watched her as she walked away. He needed to talk to Megumi, now, though, so he couldn't afford to waste time questioning Rin on whether the rumours were true. Though, he doubted they were. Rin didn't seem to be into that type of thing, in his opinion.

"Hashirama," Mito's voice came from behind him. He half-turned and faced her. "Did you ask her?"

"No," He shook his head. "I didn't get a chance." he elaborated, when Mito gave him a sceptical look. "She had homework to hand in."

"Someone needs to tell her," Mito told him. "She'll be upset if she finds out from someone else, or even worse, one of the Uchiha lot. Hikaku is deliberately being spiteful."

Hashirama pulled Mito towards him and embraced her, resting her head against his chest. "Hey, don't fret about it. Rin will be fine, I'll make sure of it. Hikaku won't hurt her too much, because he wants her back, doesn't he? But Rin doesn't want him anymore. She'll be fine."

"As right as rain," Mito murmured to herself. Hashirama gave her a questioning look. "It's something my mother always says." she explained.

"Aah, I see."

Mito giggled quietly, snuggling into him a little bit more. "Really, Hashirama, haven't you ever heard of that saying before?" she asked him playfully.

Hashirama chuckled. "I can't say I have, I'm afraid, my dear."

* * *

Meanwhile, with Rin, as she was making her way up to the third floor in the B building, heading for Mr Ikue's form room, she was met with the unwanted sight of Hikaku and a few of his friends. He spotted her first, before any of the others did. "I knew it." he said bluntly.

"What're you talking about, you idiotic dickhead?" retorted Rin angrily, attempting to pass him and continue up the stairs.

"Dickhead?" Hikaku repeated. "Last time we spoke, you called me dick_less_."

"Does that mean you're confessing to what everyone already knows, dunce?" threw back Rin, trying to pass him still. "Oh, move out of my way, Uchiha!"

"Which one?" questioned Setsuna, as he and other boys stepped forward. He sneered at her. "Who's lost for words, now, Kohaku?"

"Not me, now move!" she growled.

Hikaku laughed, looking around at the other guys who also smirked and sniggered with him. "Look at this, boys! Some lady Rin is, eh? _Oof!_" The other guys took an involuntarily step back when Rin kneed Hikaku in the balls. "You bitch!" he wheezed in response, clutching his groin.

"I did tell you to move, dunce." was all Rin said before she past him and walked up the stairs. She didn't bother giving him a second glance either. When she got to Mr Ikue's classroom, she found the door was locked and no one was inside. She tried the handle a little more forcibly and then kicked the door when it didn't work. "Oh, for the love of God and everything holy!" she growled, giving the door one more kick of frustration.

"Easy, now. Someone might think you were attempting to break and enter a classroom." someone drawled behind her.

She stiffened.

Without even turning around, she knew who it was; you'd have to be brain-dead not to know who that voice belonged to, as annoying and cliché as it sounded. "What is it with me attracting Uchihas this morning?" she asked herself quietly.

He chuckled. "As if I'd be attracted to a Senju's whore. I'm not Hikaku, Kohaku." mocked Madara, making Rin grind her teeth together.

"And I'm sure as Hell not attracted to you either, Uchiha. Now sod off! I've had enough trouble this morning."

Again, he chuckled at her as though she'd made a joke of some sort. "You think you're irresistible, don't you, Kohaku?" he sneered, as Rin turned around and glared at him, her bottom lip curling. "But I'll tell you now, not every guy is as desperate as Hikaku. Some _like _taste. Not all of us are like Senju Tobirama either, may I add."

"I should tell him you said that," leered Rin, narrowing her eyes at him as he lounged against the wall casually, blasé. "But I won't."

"And why's that?"

"Because it's what you'd like me to do, isn't it? To tell him and let you watch him get annoyed. I suppose you would think it funny, the perfect way to spoil his birthday." Rin answered him, with narrowed eyes. "Being as _diseased_ as you are."

"Diseased?" He raised an eyebrow at her languidly. "What's that supposed to mean?" He scoffed, although not exactly offended by her comment.

"Well, what do you think? You've been half nearly half the girls in the school, never mind our year alone." Rin looked at him disgusted.

In a cavalier manner, he made his way beside her. She glared at him more and more as he drew closer. He rested his arm against the wall by her head. Leaning towards her face, he whispered suggestively, "Is that an offer, Kohaku?"

"I might have dated Hikaku, but I don't make the same mistake twice, Uchiha." spat Rin, glaring daggers at his smirk.

He leaned in further. "Don't tempt me to take you right here. Stop denying what you want for once."

"For _once_?" scoffed Rin, standing her ground. "Since when have I ever shown an interest in getting an STD, Uchiha? Never! Now back off!"

Reaching for her hip, Madara murmured in her ear, "Stop with the crude comments, will you? I'm getting tired of waiting on you."

"Tch!" Rin slapped his hand, but it didn't recoil; he held onto her hip firmer. "Get off, you little man whore!"

He pressed his lips against the skin of her throat. "Stop squirming if you don't want me to fuck y—"

"Rin!"

Rin shoved Madara, who was momentarily distracted by the newcomer, away from her with all her might. He stumbled backwards two steps and glared at Senju Toka.

"What do you want, Senju? Can't you see we're busy?" he snapped, glaring. All traces of his smirk had vanished.

"Can't you see she doesn't like you in that way, Uchiha?" Toka's voice dripped with venom that would have made any lesser man quiver, but Madara stood firm, bordering on defiant. "Actually, you don't like him at all, do you, Rin?" She looked at the other girl.

Rin sighed. "Can't you just get me out altogether instead of standing around chatting, Toka?" she asked, frowning.

Toka nodded and then looked at Madara. "It's your lucky break, Uchiha. Touch her again and Hashirama will kill you."

"Don't bring Hashirama into—"

"Then you might want to tell Hashirama that Kohaku doesn't belong to him. As far as I'm concerned, his girlfriend is an Uzumaki. Kohaku is a big girl, she can decide who she wants to fuck her." He smirked when he saw Rin purse her lips.

Toka opened her mouth to reply, but Rin beat her to the punch. "Shut up, Spots." She barged past him and grabbed Toka's arm. "C'mon, let's get out of here. I'll slay him next time." Arm entwined with Rin's, Toka smirked at Madara leeringly. "I need to find Mr Ikue, though, he wasn't in his room!" Madara heard her say as she dragged a glaring Toka out of the Humanities department behind her.

He sighed, rolling his eyes. A moment later and Izuna appeared in the doorway. "Did she fall for it?" he asked, leaning against the wooden door frame.

"No," grumbled Madara, deliberately not facing his younger brother.

"Shame. She's hot, too. She'd be good at some of the parties." Izuna mumbled, ruffling the back of his hair up a little bit more. He looked at his brother, who seemed deep in thought. "Hey, you're not taking her rejection too hard, are you?" he asked out of concern.

Madara scoffed. "Like I care if some Senju whore misses out, Izuna. We should see the damage she's done to Hikaku, I think that's why she was in such a mood."

"Already seen it," Izuna said as he leaned against one of the displays on the wall. "Pretty nasty, if you ask me. She kicked him in the balls. He's still whinging about it."

"Great," Madara muttered dryly, dragging a hand down his face. Heavily sighing, he pushed away from the classroom doorway and trudged towards Izuna. He stopped short and looked at his little brother's face. "Tell me, when is Setsuna throwing his next big party?"

"Friday, to mark the end of the term. Why?"

Madara had already begun to walk out of the Humanities department when Izuna asked; he looked over his shoulder and threw Izuna a smirk. "I'm going to make sure she doesn't miss it, even for her Senju boyfriend." Then he left without another word.

Izuna felt like rolling his eyes, but he knew that his brother was crushing on this girl quite badly, and that sooner or later, he'd be called in to collect the pieces once Madara had realised. That was providing he realised _before _getting over her. Chuckling to himself, Izuna thought that Madara might not move on that quickly with this girl. Something about her seemed to have held his interest for longer than a few months, which was a record in its own right.

"Aah, Madara … what have you got yourself into?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

To say that she wasn't the least bit impressed was practically the biggest understatement of the year. Of course, Hashirama had realised that, luckily enough, and was there to 'smooth out the wrinkles', as Mito had said. Thing was, though, that Tobirama wasn't helping matters in any way.

"I thought you said he was going to be here by now," said Rin, crossing her arms. She quirked an eyebrow at Hashirama, waiting for an explanation. "Well?"

Hashirama sighed. It looked like he'd have to start without Tobirama. "I know that you didn't post all the pictures of Tobirama up."

"Took you long enough," commented Rin, taking a bite out of her chocolate bar.

Hashirama continued, "Megumi told me that it was her, and what you said about trying to stop her was true as well." Rin nodded approvingly. "But there's something else I need to tell you."

"And what would that be, honey?"

"There's a rumour about you and Hikaku." Rin looked at him through her lashes, not giving away anything; to Hashirama, she had become unreadable. "It involves some … erotic things." he said slowly, scrutinising Rin's movements.

"Such as?"

Hashirama coughed, flustering. "Can I just say going beyond the full mile, Rin?"

"Hashirama," started Rin seriously, throwing her wrapper into the smallest pocket of her bag. "may I remind you that whatever these rumours say, it presumably is no difference to what any other couple in this school has done before, including whatever you and Mito get up to." Hashirama blushed slightly at that. "Now, will you tell me what the rumours include, please?"

"A threesome," he told her. She only nodded. "A few 'jobs, things with hands, watching porn, doing porn—"

"Practically everything possible?" remarked Rin sceptically, half-disgusted that she went out with Hikaku in the first place. The rest of her disgust was the product of the rumours Hashirama was telling her about.

"Yeah, practically."

Rin grinned suddenly. "You know, I can see why Mito likes you when you blush like that." she teased good-naturedly. Hashirama went red. "You're quite cute. If you weren't taken by one of my friends, I might actually go for you."

"Please, stay focused on what I'm telling you, Rin. And don't let Mito hear you either."

Rin laughed, adoring Hashirama's cute face. "Well, fine. The porn stuff – none of it is true, just like that threesome idea."

"And the job thing?"

She gave him a pointed look, crossing her arms over her chest. "You can hardly deny Mito never sucked you off—"

"Hey, none of that! We're focusing on you here!" cried Hashirama indignantly. Rin remained blasé. "Are you seriously telling me that ... you did _that_ ... with _him_?"

"At least it wasn't Madara," Rin pointed out, disliking Hashirama's incredulous tone. Hashirama pulled a face. "What? You didn't think we would ever go that far?"

"Don't talk about Madara like that. He's all right once you get to know him."

Rin quirked an eyebrow at him. "Hashirama ... if your brother heard you say that ..." She trailed off, staring at him disbelievingly. "You know what? I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that. He's an arsehole to you! He threatened to _sleep_ with your _girlfriend_!" exploded Rin, perplexed by Hashirama's frown.

"He wouldn't have done it, anyway, and Mito wouldn't cheat on me."

The corner of Rin's mouth twitched. "You are kidding me, right?" As Hashirama opened his mouth to retort, Rin snapped, "How can you be so confident that he wouldn't? Yeah, sure, Mito isn't the adulterous type, but Madara – he has ways to manipulating _everybody_! Do you not know about the time when he 'persuaded' the Headmaster to let him—"

Hashirama put up a hand to silence her, a sincere look playing on his face. "I know you don't trust him, and I mainly think that's because of what Tobirama has told you, but I know Madara better than he does. Madara is the type of person who would say something he knows would hurt someone but regret saying it later."

"How do you know that for sure, though?" pressed Rin seriously. "Has he told you that?"

"In so many words," answered Hashirama, suddenly looking past Rin and smiling at Mito as she approached their table. "Hello," They exchanged kisses before Mito seated herself beside her boyfriend. "How was Art?"

"Boring, as usual," Mito muttered, forking some lettuce, "Oh, Tobirama's got a detention, by the way."

Hashirama scowled. "What did he do?"

"Apparently, according to Megumi, he somehow got water all around the classroom in Science," Mito told them, "The teacher wasn't very pleased."

"Who would be?" Rin said, semi-smiling at Mito.

"I was also told of your encounter with Uchiha Madara and that he had his hands all over you this morning," Mito added, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Care to share, Rin?"

"Not particularly," Rin muttered, sinking down in her seat as Hashirama stared at her accusingly. Mito knew that Hashirama would press for answers, even if she didn't feel like sharing them. Damn Mito and her logic!

"What happened?"

"Nothing." Hashirama glared at her. "Like I said, nothing—"

"Why were his hands all over you, then?"

"It was nothing, Toka is just exaggerating again—"

"Toka? Was she there?"

"I do believe so," quipped Rin mockingly, "After all, she's the one who has probably told your girlfriend about the whole thing, am I right?" Mito nodded. "See!"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, Mr I-Know-My-Girlfriend-Is-Uber-Faithful," Mito threw Hashirama a questioning look that he ignored, "why did I not tell you? Simple: if I did, you would be up in Madara's face asking him all sorts of questions and probably—after the conversation we've just had—giving him _your_ _blessing_!"

"No I wouldn't!"

"Yes you would, don't deny it!" accused Rin, pointing at Hashirama, who tried to force her hand into her lap to prevent her from looking rude. "Have you told Mito of your confidence in her? I'm sure she'd be flattered."

"What confidence?"

Rin turned to Mito, "Apparently, he believes you won't cheat on him with Uchiha Madara because you're so besotted with him."

"I didn't say that!"

"In so many words you did." Rin stuck her tongue out at him playfully, while he looked sulky. "Cheer up, I'm helping you."

"_How?_"

"Err – enhancing Mito's perception of you as a kind and trusting boyfriend?" Rin cocked her head to the side, staring at Mito. "I have helped, right?"

"In your usual manner," responded Mito softly, smiling at the pair's antics. Most lunchtimes were spent like this, Hashirama and Rin squabbling or Hashirama and Tobirama squabbling with Rin dropping in her own points occasionally. She laughed gently when Rin pulled a disbelieving face.

"I'm only trying to spice up your love life, dear!" Rin exclaimed jokingly, "But by all means, if you want a mundane and average relationship, go straight ahead. Personally, I prefer a little—"

"Rin!" Hashirama slapped a hand over her mouth, flustering like Mito, and looked around wildly. "Heaven's sake, why do you have such a dirty mouth?"

Rin pushed Hashirama's hand away from her mouth so she could talk. "But I thought you liked my dirty mouth, Hashi-kun." She pouted, while Mito laughed at Hashirama's brick red face and terrified expression as he slowly inched his head round to glance at her. "Mito knows I'm joking, Hashirama, you don't need to pull that face." Rin and Mito laughed as Hashirama suddenly became sheepish.

* * *

Under the sakura tree in the courtyard, Izuna, Madara and Setsuna assembled and sprawled their bags at the base of the tree before tossing a tennis ball to one another, talking.

"... My brother comes back this Friday, and my parents are out of the house. But it won't be there, though," Setsuna added quickly, "It'll be on the beach. It'll be the last hot day before the temperatures cool, so—"

"The last time to see girls half-naked without even lifting a finger," finished Madara, smirking vaguely. He hurled the ball at Izuna, who caught it easily despite the hard throw his brother had done.

He shot him a smug look. "Whoa, bro! What's got your knickers in a twist?" he teased, giving Madara a knowing half-smile. Setsuna looked on curiously between the brothers, catching the ball when Izuna threw it to him.

"You know that saying is old, don't you?" countered Madara half-heartedly.

Izuna shrugged his shoulders, catching the ball. "Perhaps I do, perhaps I don't. But I know that you want to get into—"

"Complete that sentence and I'll hit you," growled Madara, narrowing his eyes at Izuna as Setsuna caught the ball. Madara turned to him. "Has Hikaku packed in whinging yet?"

"Not really," muttered Setsuna, tossing the ball to Madara, "He's still moaning about Rin kicking him in the balls. He thinks he didn't deserve it."

"Didn't he?" asked Izuna sceptically, catching the ball from Madara again. He paused just as he was about to throw it to Setsuna, waiting for an answer.

"I can't say Rin didn't tell him to move."

"Kohaku's got a temper, then," mused Madara, seemingly indifferent, ignoring the knowing smirk that flitted across Izuna's face. "Why'd Hikaku go for her, anyway?"

Setsuna shrugged, nearly missing the ball Izuna shot at him. He shot Izuna a brisk glower. "I think Hikaku just wanted a girlfriend – he's not really that popular, is he, compared to the likes of you two? And Rin – well – I don't even know. She probably got fed up with all the rumours that she and Tobirama were going out when they weren't, so—"

"They weren't going out?"

Setsuna looked bemusedly at Madara. "Err – no, they're just friends apparently. I think someone probably speculated about them being found together most of the time and jumped to the wrong conclusion." He didn't miss the way Madara fired Izuna a fuming look. "Anyway, Tobirama and Rin aren't dating. They never have either."

"Oh really?"

Madara continued glaring daggers at Izuna until the bell went, when he picked up his stuff and waited for Izuna. Setsuna went his separate way, trying to find Hikaku and the others seeing that they all had Physics next. Izuna fiddled with the buckle of his shoulder strap as they neared the school building, waiting for Madara to snap at him.

"You knew they hadn't dated, didn't you?"

There it was – practically a confession of fancy coming straight from Uchiha Madara's lips. Izuna inwardly beamed. He was getting his brother to realise his own feelings. Good, it meant his plan was paying off. "I knew they weren't dating before she went out with Hikaku. He told me. He kept gloating about it, actually, as if he'd chosen the sexiest girl in the school."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you knew," quipped Izuna, knowing that if he sounded the slightest bit unsure his brother would most likely tell their father about his misadventures with a female peer in the janitor's closet in his first year at high school. He side-glanced Madara. "Apparently you didn't."

Madara scoffed quietly, silently irate. He had looked so stupid, not knowing and asking Setsuna to explain. He was meant to know about this kind of stuff!

"Don't be like that," Izuna whined, sounding like his younger self, "At least it gave Setsuna something to talk about other than parties and Hikaku."

Madara grumbled under his breath about irritating younger brothers, while Izuna only smugly grinned to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

In English the class was assigned new seats and new project partners; Rin's seat buddy, as Megumi called them, transpired to be none other than the worst person possible – Uchiha Madara.

Crossing her arms grumpily, Rin huffed. She didn't like this development, not in the slightest bit, and the royal arsehole beside her knew it. He was smirking smugly, knowing that he was irritating the Hell out of her without even having said anything yet: the keyword being '_yet_'. Knowing Madara like she did, Rin wouldn't put it past him to start trying to play a game of one-sided noughts and crosses on _her_ workbook to annoy her. He'd done it before.

However, that's not exactly what happened. A couple of minutes into the lesson—which was a double period—Madara started passing little folded notes to her. At first she ignored them, until his hand started creeping up her hip and she slapped it away before picking up the first note.

Madara only smirked at her expression.

On the other hand, Rin nearly flushed with colour, taken aback by the sentence scrawled on the torn paper. It read: _Setsuna's house, Friday, 10 – be there._

What the Hell was Madara pulling? She whipped her head up to glower at him, but he was unfazed, merely lounging back in his chair, tipping it back onto its back legs, smirking. He was wearing _that_ smirk. The smirk that screamed _I-Win_ with such cocksureness, Rin was sorely tempted to hit him hard. Of course, she had something sweeter.

Madara's hand was resting on his knee. Rin leaned forward, one elbow propped on the desk and slowly—ever so slowly—she moved her right hand onto her lap, and then on top of his hand. Of course, Madara's smirk became smug until—

_Smack!_

He was on the floor. His back was flat against the tiled flooring of the classroom, his legs dangling over the edge of his chair.

"You bitch!" hissed Madara, his eyes glinting red in the light as his anger burst through his usually indifferent posture.

"Madara!" the teacher exclaimed shrilly, appalled at his language, "Language like that is not tolerated in this school! Break time detention! And Kohaku Rin," She turned to Rin, glowering, "that kind of behaviour is unacceptable. Go to the Headmaster's office, now!" When Rin didn't move, Kohaku Honoka shouted, "_Now!_"

Huffing, Rin took her time gathering her things and shoving them into her bag. Shooting Honoka a withering look, she stepped over Madara and sauntered towards the door, passing Toka's desk and lastly passing the teacher. She paused with her hand on the handle.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Yuuna."

Rin's eyes flickered over to her sister. "At least it's something." she muttered back before opening the door and slamming it in Honoka's face. Honoka stared at the door, frowning, for a couple of minutes. Then she turned her attention back onto the class.

* * *

Her visit to the Headmaster was short, plain-spoken and overall not bad. Sure he was a bit irked about the tipping-Madara-off-his-chair incident, but she explained her motivation to get back at him for asking her to attend a 'drink party', which every student in the school was persevered to refrain from doing. It wasn't until she came across Hotaru wandering aimlessly, sniffling, in the hallway that the idea of getting back to jot notes about literature flew out of the window.

"Hotaru, what's wrong?"

Rin placed a hand under each of the girl's shaking elbows and pulled her closer, into an embrace as Hotaru whispered in her ear, "He doesn't like me."

"Who?"

"Uchiha Izuna," murmured Hotaru softly, burying her face in Rin's shoulder, afresh with tears streaking down her cheeks.

Rin simply let Hotaru cry for a few more seconds, but an idea popped into her head. She half-smiled slyly. "Say, Hatoru," she started. Hotaru sniffed loudly to show her that she was listening, "I was invited to a party this Friday by Uchiha Madara"—Rin ignored the way Hotaru gasped and snapped her head back to stare at Rin wide-eyed—"and I'm pretty sure Izuna would be there too if his brother is. Why don't we go, have a good time and it in Izuna's face what he's missed out on, eh?"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" trembled Hotaru weakly. "You don't even like Mad—"

"Believe me," Rin's eyes shone with a feverish emotion. "It's a good idea."

"Excuse me," shouted a hall monitor, from up the corridor, "Are you two girls meant to be out of class? If not, go back immediately before I get the Head—"

"I've just been to see him, thanks!" snapped back Rin irritably, pulling Hotaru around so her back was to the bossy eighteen-year-old boy. "So suck on that, Yamanaka!"

Yamanaka puffed his cheeks out indignantly and crossed his arms. "I'll tell Tobirama that you're going to cheat on him with an Uchiha!" he threatened.

"Go ahead, I'm sure he won't care."

"Yuu-chan," whined Hotaru disapprovingly. "You know that's not true."

"And you should know," started Rin, leading Hotaru towards the girls' bathroom by her arm, "that I don't like being called Yuu-chan or Yuuna."

"I didn't call you Yuuna."

"No, but Honoka did." Rin grinded her teeth together as she pushed open the door to the bathroom. She then released Hotaru, who tended to her make-up in the bathroom mirror, and said, "Anyway, I thought you liked Tobirama instead of Playboy's-Mini-Me Izuna."

"You really don't like Madara, do you?" asked Hotaru childishly, sounding almost amused at Rin's description of Uchiha Madara.

"You're avoiding the question."

"So are you!"

"I asked my one first," Rin pointed out, smiling happily as Hotaru sighed and grumbled under her breath: it was a sign that she was going to answer.

"Fine, I like Tobirama a lot." Hotaru admitted, "But whenever I do something, he doesn't notice me or he says, 'you can do better, Hotaru' or something like that. I thought that if I could get Izuna's attention—because they're rivals, aren't they?—I could get Tobirama's attention and for him to ask me out. But Izuna doesn't like me, so I don't know what to do. And he _really_ rejected me, like, really _bad_!"

"Since when does Izuna reject girls nicely?" asked Rin quizzically, looking at Hotaru's back questioningly.

"Now answer my one."

"Err – no."

Hotaru threw her a dumbfounded look in the mirror. "Just no? C'mon, I was honest with you! I even told you about my plan!"

"No offence, Hotaru, but I don't think it would have worked. I'm not even sure if Izuna is as straight as he seems." Rin said blandly, "Also, Tobirama is probably one of the only guys to be immune to the jealousy card."

"Did Toka try once, then?"

"Yep," Rin smacked her lips together with a quiet _pop_. "It didn't work."

"Bugger," cursed Hotaru, while reapplying her mascara. "Well, I suppose I'll get over him eventually." She tucked her mascara into her skirt, sandwiched between the skirt's waistband and her shirt. "Do I look okay?"

"You look fine. Your eyes are a little red, though."

"So I look like I've been crying?"

"Hmm ... you could say you banged your funny bone?" suggested Rin, attempting to be helpful. Hotaru groaned. "Or not."

"We're going."

"Okay, where?"

Hotaru looked over her shoulder at Rin, wearing a scowl. "We're going to that party you mentioned. Rub it in Izuna's face, and Tobirama's. I'm fed up with them!"

"Err ..."

"Are you chickening out, Yuu-chan?" Hotaru glared at her through her lashes, daring her to find an excuse not to go.

"Don't call me Yuu-chan."

* * *

By the time Rin re-entered the English room, the entire class was busy with work. She was beckoned to the teacher's desk as soon as she stepped foot into the classroom.

"What did the Headmaster say?"

"Err – good job?"

"Get serious," hissed Honoka bad-temperedly, "Yuuna, you need to stop misbehaving. Think of how it'd look on your school record! You're still next to Madara," Rin threw her a dirty look that she disregarded, "because I want you to learn to get on with people you don't like. And if you hit him," she added on, "I will see to it that you sit beside him in more than just my lessons. Do you understand?"

"This is torture, and torture's illegal and against my human rights, sis." Rin retorted grumpily, folding her arms over her chest.

Honoka ignored her comment. "Do you understand?" she repeated demandingly.

"Yes, Miss Kohaku, I understand."

"Good," Honoka sniffed, and then pointed to the vacant seat beside Madara. "Go and sit down and _behave_. Madara will tell you what the task is."

"What if he doesn't?"

"Then put your hand up and ask."

Huffing and grumbling at her sister noisily under her breath, Rin trudged over to Madara's desk and dumped her bag on the table heavily. Madara merely glanced up at her sideways before resuming his work. Rin bit her lip. _Now_ he chose to be the good student and make her look bad? Rummaging through her bag, she threw her workbook and pen onto the desk before dropping her bag to the floor carelessly. Madara didn't bother to glance at her this time. Biting the inside of her lip, Rin heaved a sigh and asked, "What have we got to do?"

"If you don't know, it's your fault. You should have been here when your sister said it."

Rin closed her eyes, counted backwards from ten and reopened them. She asked again, "What have we got to do?"

Madara sighed, closing his eyes and then reopening them. He bit out, rather shortly, "Annotate the passage, list linguistic devices and themes, look to see if there's any rhyme or half-rhyme, everything you normally do."

"Err – thanks?"

And he went back to ignoring her. Rin would have been perplexed by him if she wasn't so irritated with him already; like Honoka said, she had to learn to get on with people she didn't like. She didn't have to like it—or them—but she needed to learn. Her brother always told her that.

Her heart gave a faint squeeze.

She missed him.


End file.
